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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23405068">When Your Girlfriend Is A Killer</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SterekandMcDannoShipr/pseuds/SterekandMcDannoShipr'>SterekandMcDannoShipr</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Teen Wolf (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire (Teen Wolf), Everyone is FBI, FBI Agent Danny, FBI Agent Stiles Stilinski, Kate is a Hitwoman, M/M, No wolves, Scott is a Delgado, The Hale Family (Teen Wolf) Lives</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 07:01:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,774</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23405068</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SterekandMcDannoShipr/pseuds/SterekandMcDannoShipr</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek is happy living his life in New York until he tries to surprise his girlfriend with a lunch date and sees her commit homicide.  His life changes more when he has to go into protective custody and his protection detail looks like a bunch of kids.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>69</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Derek meets the FBI</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Derek had been waiting rather impatiently for his security detail to show.  His life was a fucking mess.  Currently he was sitting in a secluded farmhouse in the middle of who-the-fuck-knows-where South Dakota because his girlfriend, ex now of course, had tried to kill him.   She was supposed to be one of the sanest women he had dated but apparently, she was a fucking hit woman for whoever paid the most.  He only found out because he had tried to surprise her for lunch after a business meeting he knew she was having, by using the <em>Find Your Friend </em>app on her phone.  Derek walked into <em>Michael’s of</em> <em>Brooklyn</em> to find her shooting the Assistant District Attorney of Manhattan Jeffery Whitmore.  Thank God he ran track in high school and kept in shape.  Kate saw him as he was running and fired off a few shots that thankfully missed.</p>
<p>He’s never missed his Camaro more than in that moment because as soon as he started running, he didn’t stop until he found himself first in the closest NYPD precinct, then an hour later he had been moved to the in the FBI’s office at 26 Federal Plaza.  They immediately sent someone to the scene of the crime but of course Kate was gone, and the attorney was dead.</p>
<p>
  <em>The agent that he was giving his statement to, SSA Rafael McCall was a douche bag but seemed to be very competent.  “Mr. Hale, exactly how long have you been dating Ms. Argent?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“God.”  Derek rubbed his temples as he thought back to the first time he’d met her.  “I met Kate a year ago at a charity ball my company throws every year for the 9/11 Memorial.  Anyway, we started dating about two months after that.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Agent McCall nodded as he listened and took notes.  “Did you have any idea she was a killer?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“No!”  Derek screeched and was only slightly embarrassed at how high pitched his voice had been.  “No.  Of course not.”  He cleared his throat and said more calmly.  “I thought she was an investment banker.”  He jumped up and started pacing.  “I’ve been to her office!   I’ve met her fucking boss and his wife!”  He threw himself back into the seat he’d been occupying.  “I had no idea.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He felt really bad for the man.  There’s nothing like finding out you’re dating or in love with a killer.   “You’re very lucky Mr. Hale.  We’ve been looking for her for almost 10 years.  She’s lived in a dozen countries, used at least that many aliases, and has changed her appearance multiple times too.  She’s obviously slipped through every time we’ve had her set up.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Derek wasn’t crazy, didn’t have a death wish or anything.  He was a realist.  “You need me to help catch her because let’s be honest, there’s no way she’s going to let me live.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>It was true but they weren’t going to put him in danger like that.   “Actually Derek, we’re going to put you in protective custody until we can catch her.”  Derek didn’t even argue, much to McCall’s surprise.  “It’s going to be difficult because you’ll have to take a leave from work and you won’t be able to contact anyone in your life while you’re away.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I’m fine with that as long as I can talk to my parents before I leave.”  Derek thought about his mom and dad and there was no way he would put them in jeopardy.  “Kate has met my family.  What are you going to do for them?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Agent McCall smiled reassuringly.  “I’ve already got two of my best agents with them.   I promise nothing is going to happen to them.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Thank you.”   Derek sighed heavily in relief.  “So, if you have two of your best guys with them then who do I get?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“We have a special team for you.  We’ll have you with them within a few hours.  They’re just wrapping up a case and are on the plane to rendezvous with you at the location their leader has chosen.   I’ll be escorting you there soon.”  Agent McCall had immediately set in motion for Derek to meet with Agent Stilinski and his team.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>Derek was now at that location and finally he heard the whooshing of helicopter blades as it approached.  “About fucking time.”  He grumbled and Agent McCall chuckled.  Just in the few hours he’d become use to the grumpiness of their newest target.</p>
<p>He watched as Agent McCall stood as the team slowly made their way inside.  The first he greeted was a tall, stoic looking African American man and a dangerous, sassy looking blonde woman.  “Reyes.  Boyd.”  He shook their hands.  “How was the flight?”</p>
<p>Reyes, the sassy blonde smirked as she said.  “Fine sir.  Thank God we have our own plane and don’t have to fly Coach or some crazy shit.”</p>
<p>McCall laughed as he agreed.  “Everyone made it on the same chopper?”  Reyes nodded.   “Good.  Umm.  How is he?”</p>
<p>Boyd answered this time.  “Tired but ready sir.  He won’t disappoint.”</p>
<p>McCall smiled as more members of the team filed in.  “He never does.”  He turned to Derek.  “Mr. Hale, I’d like to introduce you to the team.  So far we have Agent’s Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd…” Erica winked and Boyd gave a stiff nod.  “Over in the corner is Allison Argent, Scott Delgado, Isaac Lahey, Kira Yukimura and Danny Mahealani.”  At that point a fierce looking redheaded woman and a young lanky brunette man walked in.  “This is Lydia Martin and the team leader Stiles Stilinski.”</p>
<p>Derek laughed as he watched the group.  “Are you fucking kidding me?  They’re all children.”  He pointed at Stiles and said.  “And you really expect me to believe that <em>he </em>is their leader?”  He jumped a little when a growl came from the agent named Boyd.  “It’s just that….”  He scoffed and waved a hand towards Stiles.  “I mean look at him!”</p>
<p>Stiles was used to the judgement and didn’t bother responding.  He nodded towards the kitchen and McCall followed.  Derek was getting uncomfortable from the judgmental looks the other agents were giving him.  The one named Lydia spoke up.  “Think what you want about how Stiles looks but I can assure you that there is no one that you want more than him and our team to keep you alive until they find that crazy bitch.”  Her masked slipped a little as she said it.  “Now let me give you a breakdown of the team and what we all do.  Kira, Allison, and Scott are the weapons experts.  They will have the house strategically equipped with hidden weapons and explosives within the hour.  Danny, Isaac, and I are the tech experts.  We will have every inch of the property covered with cameras and alarms.” </p>
<p>The last ones left were Erica and Boyd, he nodded at them.  “What about them?”</p>
<p>Erica smirked as she circled him.  “We’re specialists in a little bit of everything but most importantly we’re Stiles’ seconds.  We keep him alive so he can keep you alive.”</p>
<p>Derek wasn’t exactly soothed by that idea.  “So, do you guys know Kate?”</p>
<p>Allison was beside him hiding 9 mms in an armchair.  “You could say that.  She’s my aunt.”</p>
<p>His jaw dropped because he hadn’t been expecting that.  “And…and you’re going to do…what when you find her?”</p>
<p>Allison’s sweet face turned cold.  “That’s up to her.”</p>
<p>Stiles and Rafael walked back in.  “My work here is done Derek.”  They shook hands.  “I promise you that you are in the best care possible.  We will no longer have contact from here.  Anything you need will be facilitated by the team.”</p>
<p>“Thank you for your quick response.”   Derek said sincerely as he shook his hand.</p>
<p>As Stiles walked McCall out Lydia clapped her hands and said.  “Ok kids, time to pick our rooms.  Except for you Derek.  Yours has already been picked.  You’ll be in the center most located bedroom.  We want to make it harder for anyone, just in case.   Stiles, Erica, and Boyd will be in the rooms around that and the rest of us will circle out from there.”</p>
<p>Everyone grabbed their bags and followed Lydia.  Derek learned quickly to believe her when she said something was going to happen.  By dinner the security system was up and running.  He was surprised to find Stiles in the kitchen cooking.   Lydia was at the kitchen bar with a laptop talking about the case they had just wrapped up.  Apparently, she was finishing up the reports.</p>
<p>“What’s for dinner?”  Derek asked, trying very hard not to sound like an unappreciative asshole.  “Smells good.”</p>
<p>Stiles continued to chop vegetables as Lydia spoke.  “It’s his specialty.  We try to have it the first night on a new assignment.  He makes the best tacos in the world.”  She pointed at the pans.  “There are a few of us that are vegetarians so if you don’t eat meat then you’re covered.  He makes his own tortillas, salsa, and guacamole too.”   Derek took a seat next to her.</p>
<p>Stiles finally spoke.  “You know Scott’s abuela is responsible for that.”</p>
<p>Lydia smiled like she was accessing a memory.  “True.  She’d be really proud of you.”</p>
<p>Stiles gave her a little smile.  “Thanks, Lyds.”</p>
<p>Derek felt like he was interfering in an intimate moment between them.  “Umm.  I have a question.”  Both looked up at him and he suddenly felt like prey.  “Are you guys working on finding Kate too or just watching me?”</p>
<p>Lydia typed frantically.  “We’re assisting in her capture, but our main focus is keeping you alive.  Danny is one of the best hackers in the world.  He’s a recent acquirement for our team.  With his help we’ll find her.”</p>
<p>Derek noticed that the more they talked about Kate the more aggressive Stiles was with chopping.  He didn’t say anything until Stiles disappeared into a pantry.  “Does he have a personal history with Kate or something?”</p>
<p>Lydia closed her laptop and turned towards him.  “All you need to know right now is we are ALL highly invested in catching Kate.  She’s a Cancer to society.  Beyond that, it’s a need to know situation and right now, you don’t need to know.  We are the best at what we do.”</p>
<p>Stiles walked out of the pantry with an arm load of vegetables.  “Bringing her to justice is very personal for me Mr. Hale but that will not compromise your safety in any way.”  That was all Stiles said until dinner was ready.  For whatever reason, that Derek wouldn’t know for a while, Stiles stepped into the hallway and yelled to his team.  “Eat now or starve.”</p>
<p>Within seconds the kitchen was full and the noise level was almost unbearable.  Derek watched the agents descend on the food like a pack of starving wolves.  Scott looked like an excited puppy as he made his plate.  “Hell yes.  Abuelas recipe.”</p>
<p>Once the food had passed around and plates were full the noise was bearable.  Each member checked in with Stiles to fill him in on the jobs they’d accomplished.  Danny had explained the multi layers of perimeter alarms that he, Boyd, and Isaac had put in place.  Kira and Allison gave him a breakdown of what and where all the weapons were located in the house and surprisingly around the grounds.  Because of where they were, they had to have multiple means of vehicles for exit.  Right out the back door were four ATV’s and two miles away in a barn were two 4-wheel drive SUV’s.  Derek noticed that Danny and Lydia were never without their laptops and were constantly typing.   The food was amazing, and he complimented Stiles but only got was a head nod as a response.</p>
<p>After they ate Stiles excused himself and went to the office he had set up for himself.  Lydia, Danny, and Boyd gave about a half an hour before they join him. </p>
<p>Lydia touched his shoulder as she left the room.  “You’ve had a long day.  You should get some sleep.”  Derek nodded because he was physically and mentally drained.  He offered to help clean the kitchen but was waved off so he headed to his room. </p>
<p>Allison and Scott cleaned up from dinner while Erica and Kira did a physical perimeter check. Technology could be hacked so a physical perimeter check would happen every hour.  Derek was a little curious about that considering they were in the middle of a 300-acre ranch and they hadn’t even been there 24 hours.  He didn’t question them yet though. </p>
<p>He walked past the living room and found Isaac checking the windows and doors.  Neither man spoke, just exchanged head nods and continued on their way.  He collapsed on his new bed after he closed the door.  “What the fuck?  What the actual fuck?”  He whispered to himself as he rubbed his face.  “Jesus.”  Leave it to him to be dating a hit woman.  “Mom and Dad must be so proud.”  He continued to talk out loud to himself.  He was thankful that Agent McCall had let him call his parents before he was swept off.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Talia smiled when she saw her baby boy’s name light up her phone.  “Hello dear.  Is everything ok?’</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He knew she was asking that because they had talked the night before.  “Hey mom.  Umm.  I’m…”  He sighed heavily.  “I’m in trouble.”  He gave her a quick rundown.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Jesus Derek!  I’m so glad you’re ok.”  She teared up at the thought of something happening to one of her kids.  They would always be kids no matter their age.  “Your father and I will be fine.  You do whatever you have to do ok?  We’ll be here when it’s all over.  I love you sweetie.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He had teared up at the worry in his mom’s voice.  “I love you too Mom and please tell Dad for me.  I’ll see you guys soon.”   That would be the last time he would talk to anyone from his family for almost 6 months.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Derek could hear Lydia, Stiles, Danny, and Boyd talking from Stiles’ room next door.  Apparently, the walls were thin.  He assumed that if they wanted it to be private, they would have moved to another room.</p>
<p>Stiles was exhausted, they had flown from their last case directly to South Dakota.  Their previous case had been three missing children.  In the end it had turned out well but searching for who would take a child was always hard.  He and the rest of the team hadn’t had more than a day off in almost two months.</p>
<p>He yawned as he talked to the people he was sitting with.  “I have a feeling Mr. Hale is going to be difficult to deal with.”</p>
<p>Lydia rubbed his arm, trying to reassure him.  “He’s never had to worry about danger a day in his life Stiles.  He grew up in an affluent family in California; both parents still alive and married, the only son, older sister and a younger sister.  He’s spoiled but I have faith in him.”</p>
<p>Stiles had read up on him.  “I know everyone is concerned about my focus here.’</p>
<p>Boyd cut him off.  “No, we’re not.  If anything, I think you’ll be more focused than ever.  We all want to catch her Stiles.  She’s racked up a body count like no one has ever seen.”</p>
<p>“Regardless of the circumstances, you have me now.”  It could only be Danny.  “I am, not to brag or anything, one of the top three hackers in the world.  What I did that led to me getting caught was for a good cause.  I can honestly say that joining your team saved my life.  So with that, I <em>promise</em> you that we will find Kate Argent and if she decides to choose death, then it couldn’t happen to a better person.”</p>
<p>Derek could hear something that may have been a fist bump or high five.  Lydia spoke next.  “Danny has been able to do some tracking.  After the incident in New York she used one of her alias’s and went south to Kentucky.  Her father lives there and we all know how much he loves his little girl.  She dropped off the radar there though.”</p>
<p>There was frantic typing as she talked.  “I have alerts on all of her alias’s, but I also have alerts for new names that are less than 10 years old that pop.”  Danny said as he laughed and continued to type.  “She isn’t very crafty with her names at least not for someone like me.” </p>
<p>Derek could already tell that Boyd was a man of few words.  A new person joined them.  “Hey guys.  I just came back from a perimeter check with Kira.”  Erica.  Something that sounded like a kiss seeped through the walls.  “Everything looks good.”</p>
<p>“Thanks Catwoman.”  He heard Stiles say.  “What’s everyone else up to?”</p>
<p>Erica relaxed into Boyd’s lap.  “The kitchen is officially clean.  Isaac completed the weapons check.  Scott, Allison, and Kira are going to take the first watch.”</p>
<p>Stiles sighed heavily and scrubbed his face hard with both hands.  “Sounds like it’s all under control.”  Four hums followed that statement.  “Alright.  I think we’re good for tonight.  You guys get some sleep and we’ll tackle other things tomorrow.”</p>
<p>Danny, Boyd, and Erica left after wishing him a good night.  Lydia took her time getting her stuff together.  “You need to sleep.”</p>
<p>Stiles smiled fondly.  “I know Lyds.  I’m going to.”</p>
<p>Derek heard something that sounded like several pill bottles rattling.   “Here are your meds.”  A mumbled thanks followed and then Lydia said.  “We’re going to get her this time Mieczyslaw.”</p>
<p>A distinctive growl came from next door followed by Stiles saying.  “Just because you’re my best friend, practically my sister, does not mean you get to call me that.”</p>
<p>Lydia smirked evilly.  “Who are you kidding?  I am your sister.  Now get some sleep and I won’t call you that for at least 48 hours.”</p>
<p>Derek heard an honest to goodness laugh from Stiles.  It was a nice laugh, almost musical.   “I don’t believe you for a second.  Now get out of here.” </p>
<p>He listened as her heels clicked down the hall announcing her departure.  He finally heaved himself up off the bed and opened his duffle bag.  He needed a shower badly, so he pulled a pair of pajama pants out of his bag with his toiletry kit.  He blew out a heavy breath as he made his way into the bathroom, thinking about the first impression he made on Stiles.  There was something about the man, something sad and he was going to get his head out of his ass and find out.</p>
<p>Stiles heard Derek get in the shower as he was climbing into bed.  The guy was going through a lot and Stiles could relate.  He thought of Miguel and Lucy as he closed his eyes and tried to relax. </p>
<p>
  <em>Stiles was running late meeting his family.  He had gotten caught up on a lead for Kate Argent.  He called his husband and got his voicemail.  “Hey babe!  I’m so sorry I’m running late.  I’m five minutes from the restaurant.  Love you and I’ll see you guys soon.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He rounded the corner and saw Miguel’s car parked at the curb in front of Mario’s.  It was their favorite Italian restaurant and their Friday night family place.  He saw that Miguel had just gotten there too and that’s probably why he hadn’t answered.  The driver’s door opened and he saw his husband’s smiling, with his phone to his ear just as the car exploded.  He jumped out of his car and ran towards the fiery mass, a woman was standing on the other side of the road laughing.  He heard her say.  “You should have left me alone.”</em>
</p>
<p>Stiles blew out a shaky breath and thanked whatever higher being there was that neither his husband nor their daughter suffered.  He wiped his eyes as he tried to settle in the bed.  He didn’t bother with the covers because he rarely slept more than a couple of hours a night even with his meds.  He covered his eyes with his arm and soon was drifting off to sleep.</p>
<p>Stiles woke to a hand on his shoulder and a deep voice.  “Hey man.  Scott whipped up breakfast.”  That’s when his nose was assaulted by the smell of fresh brewed coffee and bacon.</p>
<p>Stiles yawned deeply and mumbled.  “Thanks.  Be there in a minute.”  Boyd left him to get ready.  He rolled over and looked at his phone.  It was 7 am which meant he’d not only missed his shift but had slept a solid 7 hours.  “Shit.”  He jumped out of bed, took a quick shower, dressed and joined the others.  Everyone was gathered around the table eating when he sat down.  “Morning.”  Erica passed him a tall cup of coffee and he hummed.  “Thanks.”</p>
<p>“Anytime Batman.”  Erica said as she ruffled his already messy hair.   “How’d you sleep?”</p>
<p>Stiles tried to glare at her, it never worked.  “Pretty well actually.  Who didn’t wake me up for my shift?” </p>
<p>He watched Isaac raise his hand shyly.  “To be fair, I tried but you wouldn’t wake up.”</p>
<p>Everyone knew Stiles had trouble sleeping so if they couldn’t get him to wake up they would move to the next person on rotation.  Stiles hated it; it wasn’t fair to his team.  “I’ll take the next two shifts.”  They also knew not to argue with him.</p>
<p>Kira broke up the tense moment.  “Hey Stiles.  I’m going to take out an ATV after breakfast to check on the cars and the outer lying parts of the property.  Want to go with me before you start your shift?”</p>
<p>He nodded as he shoved eggs into his mouth.  “Absolutely.  Thanks.  I’ve only seen it on the video from when it was set up.”   Kira was the perkiest one of the team and he couldn’t help but smile at her excitement of her joining him.  He looked to Derek who was sitting next to Danny as he typed away.  “Mr.  Hale, how did you sleep?”</p>
<p>Derek hated being called that, but he knew he deserved it.  “I slept pretty well.  Thank you.  Please call me Derek.”  He had talked to Lydia and Scott about his first impression and they suggested he be sincere and maybe try to apologize.  So that’s what he was going to try.  “Also, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry about my behavior yesterday.  As you can imagine this is a lot to deal with.  I dated her for a year and not once during that time did I imagine that she was capable of something like that.  And if I’m being honest, I don’t even care about myself.  I just don’t want her to hurt my family.”</p>
<p>Stiles could understand that, and he appreciated Derek making an effort.   “Apology accepted.  And I promise Mr…..Derek that my team and I will do everything we can to keep you safe.  Your family has the best agents watching them and Kate will be caught.” </p>
<p>“Thank you.”  Derek hoped that those two words and the emotion behind them would make the agent understand that he would not be a problem.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hopefully, this isn't played out too fast and makes sense.  I've been working on it way too long.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The days went by sluggishly, but they were surprisingly not uneventful.   Each day he was put through weapons and close quarter combat training.  He never thought it was something he would need to know but appreciated it considering everything he had learned about who was looking for him.  Derek was never alone unless he was in his room.  Although he understood they were only doing their job it was frustrating.  He really wanted to talk to his family though.  Weekly reports that they were fine weren’t enough, especially knowing that his mother’s birthday was soon.   Stiles barely spoke more than a few words to him each day.   He spent most of his time with Danny and Lydia tracking Kate.  She moved every few days and so far, she seemed to be hiding out in a safe house the Argent’s had in a small town in Texas.  </p>
<p>Stiles surprised him when he let him video chat with his mom for her birthday.  “I know how important family is.”  Stiles had said quietly as he and Danny set up an encrypted video chat line for Derek.  “We have an agent with your family so this will be safe to do.  You just can’t tell them where you are, ok?”</p>
<p>“I won’t.  I promise.”  He gave Stiles a reassuring smile.  “Thank you again.”  He received an unexpected pat on his shoulder from the agent.  He was left alone for the 30-minute video chat with his family.  Danny had made sure that his background was blurred so that if anyone was able to hack in they would not be able to see any distinguishing features from the land they were surrounded by.</p>
<p>He, Boyd, and Scott were on their daily run when Boyd’s phone rang.  He was wearing an earpiece, so he didn’t slow down as he answered.  “What’s up?”</p>
<p>He did however stop when Stiles said.  “Get back to the house.  We’ve lost Kate.”</p>
<p>“We gotta go back.”  He moved in closer to Derek and Scott followed.  They quickly made their way back to the house to be met by an armed Isaac and Kira in the front yard.  “Head in and shower Derek then meet us in the kitchen.”</p>
<p>Derek learned the first week not to argue when any of them asked something of him.  He walked into the kitchen to find Danny, Lydia, Stiles, and Allison hunched over computers and maps talking in broken sentences.  Something he assumed came from the many years they had known each other.  He grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and headed to his room.  They always included him in briefs, <em>the more you know the safer you’ll be, </em>they had told him the first time.  He took a few long drinks of water then climbed in the shower.  He didn’t waste time because even he knew something significant had happened.</p>
<p>When he walked back into the kitchen 20 minutes later lunch was on the table and a spot next to Erica was waiting for him.   “Hey, Derek!”  Kira greeted him happily as always.  “Soup and sandwiches whenever you’re ready.”</p>
<p>He couldn’t help the smile he gave her.  Everyone was friendly and nice to him, but Kira was just a ray of sunshine no matter what was going on.  “Thanks.”  He said quietly as he made a sandwich and ladled out some soup before he asked the burning question.  “What’s happened with Kate?”</p>
<p>Stiles looked up from the computer he was typing at with a deep frown.  “She’s moved and we seem to have lost her.”  He looked back down as he continued to type.  “She was just outside of Austin and moving north before she completely went offline.  Her phone has gone dead and the random withdraw's from ATM’s have stopped.  We’ve got two undercover teams in that area asking around about her.  Jackson and Malia are asking around the last town she was in and then Ethan and Aiden have moved further north to see if they can find anything.”</p>
<p>“Ha!  I’ve got you now bitch.”  Danny said as his typing sped up.  “You know the cell phone sales that I’ve been tracking?”  Everyone nodded, even Derek, even though he really had no idea what Danny was talking about.  “There’s a little town about 140 miles northwest of Austin called Menard.  They haven’t sold a disposable cellphone in 6 months until this morning.  That’s why I sent Aiden and Ethan ahead.  They’re some of the best on the ground trackers I have ever met.  The cell tower situation is very sketchy in that area so I sent them off with a special little gadget I made.  If the twins are able to catch up to her they can plant a tracking device and fall back.  That’s a big if though.”</p>
<p>Stiles sighed heavily and took a few seconds as he scrubbed his face with both hands.  “They’re definitely the best at what they do.  I have faith that they could pull it off if they’re able to find her.  If they do then we’ll pull Jackson and Malia in to help, they’ll alternate following, so she doesn’t get suspicious if she sees them.  We can set up new cars along the way to help.”</p>
<p>Derek listened intently as the team talked about the moves they’d make.  “Do you think there’s a real chance you guys can catch her?”</p>
<p>“Absolutely.”  Danny said with more conviction than he’d ever heard from someone.</p>
<p>From that day Danny, Stiles, and Lydia devoted every minute of their waking hours to keep up with Kate.   Stiles began having nightmares.  Most of the time he could just hear noises from Stiles’ room all hours of the night.  Until one night, just over a week after finding Kate again, he was woken by Stiles screaming.  He was calling for someone named Miguel and Sophia.  Derek ran out of his room and right into Boyd and Lydia as they were going into Stiles’ room.  He was stopped by Isaac grabbing him by the shoulders. </p>
<p>“Let them take care of it.”  They watched from the door as Boyd got Stiles to wake up and then Lydia took over to soothe him.  “Sometimes he gets…he wakes up swinging.  One of us guys goes in first and then Lydia takes over.”  Isaac clapped him on the shoulder and nodded towards the kitchen.  “Let’s get some hot chocolate.”</p>
<p>Derek followed him into the kitchen and didn’t say anything until Isaac slid the mug to him.  “Who is Miguel and Sophia?”  Isaac didn’t respond right away.  “It’s obvious they’re important to him.  I’ve heard him having nightmares all week and Lydia seems to be able to help calm him.”  He didn’t know how to approach the subject of Stiles and Lydia, so he just went for it.  “Did they…were they an item or something?</p>
<p>Isaac chuckled as he took another sip of his hot chocolate before he said.  “We all grew up together.  Stiles had a major crush on Lydia from elementary school until junior high when he realized he was gay.  They’ve been best friends ever since.  As far as the thing with Kate, it really should be his story to tell but I’m going to tell you.  Maybe it’ll help you understand how devoted he is, we all are to catching her.”  Derek gave Isaac a nod and his undivided attention.  “Before you met her, she was living in Los Angeles and we had been tracking her for about 6 months at this point.  She and her father Gerard had left a pile of bodies all around L.A that included Allison’s mother and grandmother.  She had a mole in our department and found out that the team was close to having everything they needed to finally bring her and her father to justice.   One night Stiles was going to meet his husband Miguel and their daughter Sophia for dinner.  He pulled up to the restaurant just as they were getting out of Miguel’s car and it blew up right in front of him with Kate watching from across the street.  She made a point to let Stiles see her and let him know that it was his fault his family was dead.  They had only been married for a year and had adopted Sophia about 2 months after they married.”  He watched Derek for a moment then said.  “So you see, this is very personal for Stiles.  For all of us.”</p>
<p>Derek wiped away the tears that had run down his cheek.  “Jesus fuck.  How is he even still doing anything?”  He scrubbed his face with both hands.  “I feel like a total asshole.”</p>
<p>Isaac chuckled and patted his shoulder.  “Look, no matter how personal it is for him, for all of us, she will not get to you.  I can promise you that.”  They had finished their drinks, so Isaac scooped up the mugs and washed them out.  “You should get to bed and don’t worry about Stiles.”  He clapped him on the shoulder as he passed him.  “We’ll take care of him.”</p>
<p>Derek made his way back to his room and stopped at Stiles’ door.  It was open just enough where he could look in and see Boyd and Lydia with Stiles.  He must have made a noise because Boyd met his eyes and gave him a nod.  He took that as everything was as ok as it was going to be, so he went to his room and flopped down on his bed.  There was no way he was going to be able to sleep so he put in his headphones and started up an audiobook he’d downloaded the day before.  Thank God no one looked at his phone because he wouldn’t want to have to defend why he was listening to <em>Dead Until Dark The Sookie Stackhouse novels.</em>  He thought about the story Isaac had told him about Stiles.  He couldn’t imagine how he was able to keep working.</p>
<p>Derek had never been in a serious relationship so he couldn’t imagine losing a spouse much less a child.  He worried about losing his family all the time, especially since he found out Kate’s true nature.  He knew his family was safe because of the encrypted videos he received once a week.  As he listened to the book he opened one of the videos and watched a random video of his family  He even missed his uncle Peter a little but only a little.  Everyone looked healthy and safe, that was all he could ask for. </p>
<p>Derek woke up the next afternoon to a knock at his door.  “Come in!”  He responded sleepily as he rubbed his eyes and sat up.</p>
<p>Stiles opened the door and stuck his head in.  “I was going to do a perimeter check and thought maybe you could come along.”</p>
<p>Derek was surprised that Stiles was the one on the other side of the door and that he was asking him to join him.  “Yeah.  That’d be good.”</p>
<p>“Ok.”  Stiles tapped on the door a couple of times and then said.  “I’ll be heading out in about 30 minutes.”</p>
<p>Derek stood up and stretched.  “Ok.  I’ll be out in a few.”  Stiles closed his door and Derek took a quick shower.</p>
<p>When he walked into the kitchen there was food waiting.   Everyone was sitting around the table eating so he joined them.  Stiles was eating a bagel slathered in cream cheese as he and Danny looked at something on Danny’s computer.  Stiles didn’t seem to really be in a rush so he made himself a big plate.  He listened to everyone talk and answered if a question was thrown his way.  He was a bit derailed as he was shoving forkfuls of eggs into his mouth.  Stiles had gotten cream cheese all over his fingers and he was licking it off when Derek looked up.  Fingers weren’t ever something he had noticed before this very moment.  Stiles had long spindly fingers and Derek was completely entranced by them.  He was broken out his staring by a loud snort and he didn’t have to look to know it was Erica.  He didn’t bother acknowledging her as he snapped out of it and shoved the eggs into his mouth.</p>
<p>It was more like an hour had passed when Stiles stood up and addressed Derek.  “Are you ready to go?’</p>
<p>“Yep.”  Derek took his plate and coffee cup to the kitchen.  “What are we going to do?”</p>
<p>Stiles moved towards the front door and Derek followed.  “Originally I was just going to do a perimeter check but I think we should go check on the barn a few miles away.”</p>
<p>Derek climbed into the passenger’s side of the UTV (utility task vehicle).  “Ok.”</p>
<p>The barn was 3 miles from the house and looked about as unassuming as it possibly could.  On the outside, it looked rundown and like it had been abandoned for years.  On the inside however it housed two 4 wheel drive 2008 Nissan Armada’s.  Derek had seen them before but was still awed by them.  They were bulletproof including the tires which were also puncture-proof thanks to Michelin.  Derek followed Stiles into the barn after a retinal and fingerprint scan.</p>
<p>They checked over the first SUV and engaged in small talk, mostly about the contents of the vehicle.  When they moved onto the next one Stiles surprised Derek.  “How are you doing?  I know we see each other most days but I haven’t really talked to you about how you’re coping.”</p>
<p>Derek recovered quickly from the surprise and opened the glove compartment before answering.  “I’m not gonna lie, it’s hard but knowing that my family is safe keeps me going.”  He didn’t know how Stiles would react to what he was going to say but he took a chance anyway.   “Isaac told me about your family that night.” He could tell by the way Stiles stiffened he knew what night he was talking about.  “I’m sorry and I know that sounds hollow.  My ability for words is horribly lacking on a good day.  Now give me numbers and I could write you a love song.”  He looked over to Stiles and realized he must be rambling by the look on his face.  “Sorry.”</p>
<p>Stiles smiled a little and waved him off.  “It’s ok.  When I was a kid I was the king of word vomit.”  Derek looked at him with a raised eyebrow and Stiles let out a little laugh.  “Yeah.  I know.  I guess it’s hard for me to open up to new people.  Especially when I’m supposed to be protecting them.  It’s a <em>better to be seen and not heard </em>philosophy I started living by after…”  He closed the front door and moved to the back to check it out, Derek followed and waited him out.  “She took everything from me.  I’ll never be the same as I was but I’m trying every day to be better.  I don’t talk about them much and I feel like an ass sometimes because I don’t.”</p>
<p>Derek shook his head.  “You’re not an ass.  You love and miss them.  I’ve never been in love with someone or had a child so I can’t know how that kind of loss feels.”  He was quiet for a moment.  “I’ve actually not lost anyone that I am old enough to really remember.  But I think about my family and losing them, it terrifies me.  It makes me physically ill actually, to think about it.”  He sighed and closed the back door.  “I’ll do anything I can to help you catch her.”</p>
<p>Stiles joined him at the trunk and opened it for inspection.  “Are you prepared for the chance that she might come here?  We’ve done everything we can to keep this place off the grid but she could have another mole in the bureau.  Agent McCall is keeping an eye on that end for us and my dad, he’s a Sheriff and has contacts all over.  He’s helping too.”  Stiles shrugged as he checked the weapons.  “He can be a little more discreet when asking questions.”</p>
<p>Derek was impressed at what a family affair the whole thing was.  “Did you get into law enforcement because of him?”</p>
<p>He caught Stiles’ quick smile.  “Yeah.  I was a bit of a pain in the ass as a kid.  Too damn nosy, I think that’s how my dad put it.  I would always get into the files that he brought home.  I even helped solve a few cases when I was a teenager.  I got my degree at Cal State LA, spent a few years as a deputy in my hometown in Beacon Hills, and then got into the academy.  That’s how I met Miguel; I was there with his brother.”  He smiled a little as he rearranged a few things then closed the back door.  “Everything looks good.  What do you think?”</p>
<p>Derek chuckled as he looked around.  “I don’t really know anything about this kind of stuff.  Before coming here, the closest I’d ever come to a gun was a toy gun at a fair.”  He stuffed his hands in his pockets and sighed.  “All I want is for my family to be safe.  I don’t care about myself.”</p>
<p>Stiles frowned a little as he looked at Derek.  “You should.  Care about yourself that is.  Poor dating decisions doesn’t mean you should be hurt.”</p>
<p>Derek chuckled and leaned against the side of the Armada they were looking at.  “It’s so crazy to think about her being a killer.  Not once over the last year did I <em>ever</em> suspect that she could do something like that.  I mean, we weren’t really serious.  We were each other’s plus-ones at work events.  Stiles, I’m…”  He looked up at the agent and he knew that Stiles knew what he was going to say but he didn’t stop him.  “I’m so sorry about your family.”</p>
<p>Stiles didn’t brush it off, he wouldn’t do that to their memory.  “Thank you.”  He let out a long breath.  “Most days I don’t even know how I’m functioning.”  He ran his hands through his hair and there was a long pause before he pushed off the Armada.  “We need to get back to work.” </p>
<p>Derek didn’t push as he followed Stiles out to the UTV, and they continued with their scan of the perimeter.  It was small talk for the rest of the trip and an hour later they were pulling back up to the house.  The conversation Derek and Stiles had that day seemed to be a turning point. </p>
<p>Things with Kate were starting to heat up.  For several days she seemed to be moving closer and closer to where they were.  Derek had heard the names Aiden and Ethan multiple times and had figured they were brothers but never thought they would be twins.  They showed up at the house two weeks after his conversation with Stiles in the barn.  He knew this meant something was wrong.  They were carrying two large duffels each.  He would find out later two were full of clothes and the other two full of weapons.</p>
<p>The night they arrived there was a meeting over dinner in the kitchen.  Derek was at the center on Stiles’ right.  Everyone in the group had a partner except Stiles, Derek noticed.  Ethan with Danny, Aiden with Lydia, Erica with Boyd, Scott with Kira, and Allison with Isaac.  They began to discuss what their next moves should be when Boyd’s phone rang, and he joined Malia and Jackson into the plans via speakerphone.</p>
<p>They were still trying to find Kate but were having no luck.  Danny marked off the places on the map as Jackson named them off.  Malia was angry and Derek was a little amused at how many curse words she could say in one sentence.  “She’s a sneaky bitch guys.   She’s picking up what amounts to fucking mercenaries along the way.  I’d say she has roughly 6 with her right now.” </p>
<p>Jackson grumbled during what sounded like a scuffle.  “Jesus.  Look, guys, I know you’re armed to the teeth and basically ready for the psycho but I think…”  Another scuffle.  “Ok!  <em>We </em>think that we should head your way.  She’s obviously coming for you guys.”</p>
<p>Danny was frustrated and cursing under his breath.  “I have no idea how they could find us.  She obviously still has a mole in the department.”</p>
<p>Stiles shook his head as he listened.  “Look, the only other person that knows we’re here is McCall.  Unless something has happened to him, there’s no way she’d be able to find us.”</p>
<p>Lydia nodded in agreement.  “This place isn’t even a bureau safe house.  McCall would be her only way of knowing.”</p>
<p>Danny sent an encrypted message to a friend at Quantico.  “McCall is dead.”  Silence fell across the group as he spoke quietly.  “He uhh…. He was found dead three days ago in his car tortured.”  Danny ran a hand over his face.  “Jesus.”</p>
<p>“Fuck.”  Stiles jumped up and started pacing around the kitchen.  “Fuck!”  He practically screamed.  “Alright.  We’re going to double up on patrols.  Aiden and Ethan, I want you guys to take Danny and Lydia with you to the barn and get ready for extract.”  They didn’t hesitate to move, each packing up some food and grabbing their bags to head to the barn on foot.</p>
<p>Derek found himself in the middle of the doubling up.  Whoever wasn’t on duty for patrols was helping Derek remember how to load and use any weapon in the house.  Boyd helped with the close-quarter combat and Stiles increased his time with Derek.  It was two weeks later when the day came. Or rather the night when Kate and her crew of 12 breached the perimeters.</p>
<p>Derek is shaken out of his sleep by a flurry of movement in his room.  Stiles.  Stiles has come in moving quickly.  “They’re here Derek.”  He had started sleeping fully dressed once they knew she was close.  “It’s time.”</p>
<p>“I’m ready.”  He slid out of his bed and followed Stiles in a crouch out of his room. </p>
<p>They met Erica and Boyd in the hallway and took the night vision goggles they were handed.  Boyd looked scary on a good day but in his full gear, he looked absolutely terrifying.  He spoke quietly as he said.  “They have us surrounded.  They’re as heavily armed as we are, and we’re outnumbered severely.  The best we can do is try to hold them off so you and Derek can get out of here.”</p>
<p>“No!”  Derek hissed and grabbed Boyd by the vest.  “You guys are not going to stay behind and risk your life for me.”</p>
<p>Boyd gave him a little smile and removed Derek’s hand from his vest.  “It’s my job, Derek.  It’s <em>our </em>job to keep you alive.”  He put his hand on Derek’s shoulder.  “We’ll see you at the barn.”</p>
<p>Stiles pulls Derek with him towards the back of the house.  When they stop at the door to the basement Stiles turns to him.  “We didn’t tell you about this because we needed a few secrets.”  He nods to the door.  “There are a set of tunnels that lead out to various places on the property.  We have specific markings so that each of us knows which way to go.  McCall didn’t even know about them.”  He hands him a 9mm, several extra clips, and a belt with at least a dozen throwing knives.  “I’ll be right behind you.”  He opens the door and pushes Derek towards it.  “Follow the green tunnel.  Lydia, Danny, and the twins are waiting on the other side.”</p>
<p>Derek grabbed Stiles by both shoulders.  “No!  You’re not staying behind.  Come with me. Please!”  He begged as he gripped the agent's bulletproof vest.  “Stiles!  Please?”</p>
<p>Stiles felt something inside stir but the pushed it away and pushed Derek through the door.  Before he locked form his side he said.  “I promise I will, we all will see you at the barn.”  Derek tried to argue with him again.  “Stop! You have to go now, or we’ve been hiding out here for months for nothing.  The tunnel comes out 50 yards behind the barn.”  He locked the door behind him and moved to where he knew Boyd and Erica were waiting.</p>
<p>Erica was one of the nicest people that he’d ever known but when it came to her job she was ruthless.  “That psycho bitch has no idea who she is up against.”</p>
<p>Boyd chuckled as he gave her a quick kiss.  “Is Derek moving?”</p>
<p>Stiles took a deep breath and nodded.  “As far as I know.”</p>
<p>At the other end of the house, Derek was crouched on the other side of the door ha had been shoved through.  If he knew how to pick a lock he would be working to get back into the house.  How was he supposed to do this on his own?  He needed Stiles.  He tried several times to bust through the door but there was no give and he could imagine there was a reason for that.  Finally, he gave up huffed out a deep breath, and moved through the basement.  He found the hatch that was marked blue.  As he opened it an explosion rocked the house.</p>
<p>He could only think about the people that were inside sacrificing their lives for his.  He climbed into the hatch and closed it behind himself.  “Come on Hale.”  He said quietly.  “Get your shit together and get out of here.”  He checked the gun to make sure it was ready and started moving through the tunnel.  He was able to stand up, so he ran until he came to the end.  He had no idea why he was checking his vest; it wasn’t like he’d ever worn one before, but somehow it soothed him.  He dropped to a crouch and opened the door slowly. He peeked out slowly, there was no one around as far as he could tell so he stayed in his crouch and slowly made his way to the barn.  When he was 20 yards away, he heard a snap and a whiz right by his head.</p>
<p>“Shit!”  He practically screamed as he dropped to the ground.</p>
<p>“Derek?”  He heard from the earpiece he forgot he had in.</p>
<p>He shoved the earpiece in.  “Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Jesus Christ!  I almost shot your ass.”  It was one of the twins, but he couldn’t tell which.  “Get in the fucking barn asshole.”</p>
<p>Derek jumped up and ran as fast as he could to the closest door.  Lydia was standing on the other side with her hand on her hip.  “You’re damn lucky.  Get in here!”  She slammed the door behind him.</p>
<p>He took a few deep breaths before he asked.  “Have you heard from the others?”  He didn’t like the look on her face as he asked.  “Lydia?  Have you?”  He practically yelled.</p>
<p>Ethan came out of nowhere and made him jump.  “We lost contact with the house through the coms, but all of their trackers are showing them still moving.  The house is on fire and the remaining few of Kate’s crew are moving this way and fast.  We need to be ready.”</p>
<p>Lydia shoved Derek into one of the SUV’s and jumped in behind the wheel.  She started it up as Danny Started the other one before moving into the back.  Seconds later a half a dozen things happened.  The rear barn doors blew open.  Through the smoke, Derek was barely able to see Ethan laying down gunfire as Aiden slid down the fireman’s pole to back him up. Then he saw Isaac and Kira helping Allison and Scott who were bleeding, into the SUV Danny was in.  His heart started pounding as he turned to see Erica running as she traded gunfire with several men.  What scared him the most was the front of the barn blowing open and Boyd followed by Stiles running in.  They were also trading gunfire but this time with a group led by Kate.</p>
<p>Derek swallowed bile as he was shoved down into the floorboard of the SUV as a bullet tore through Stiles.  “No!”  He screamed and fought to get back up.  The back door opened, and Stiles was shoved in.  There was no time to be gentle because the barn was full of flying bullets and they were surrounded.  Derek moved to help get Stiles in the back.  Erica climbed in with him and climbed over the back to make room for Boyd who was also injured but not as badly as Stiles.</p>
<p>“Move Ethan!  Now!”  She screamed as she started working on Stiles.  He had bullet wounds in his chest, stomach, and right leg. </p>
<p>Ethan threw a flashbang at the guys coming in the back and slammed into reverse.  Aiden was right behind him.  Kate was steadily raining bullets onto the cars, but none were penetrating.  They were out of the barn in seconds and Derek was blinded as the barn blew up.</p>
<p>He wouldn’t find out until later that Kate, having been identified by DNA, blew up in the barn and now he was free to go back to his normal life.  He stayed by Stiles’ bed for nearly two weeks, until he was fully conscious.  His life was never going to be normal again. </p>
<p> </p>
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  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I messed up and gave Stiles' daughter the wrong name in Chapter 2.  I've been working on this chapter for way too long.  I hope it makes sense, if it doesn't I apologize ahead of time.   Here's a link to get an idea of where they went.</p><p>http://goeast.ems.com/mount-marcy-hiking-van-hoevenberg-trail/</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Stiles woke to find himself attached to at least a half dozen machines and his left leg in traction.  He had flashes of the firefight and explosions at the barn.  What he had not expected to find was Derek sitting at his bedside.  His dad walked in not long after and smiled when he saw that his son was awake.</p><p>“Pops.”  Stiles croaked and Derek jerked awake.</p><p>“Stiles!”  He smiled and jumped up.  “You’re awake!  Thank God.”  His hands hovered before he pulled them back, unsure of how welcome they’d be and what exactly he’d do with them.  He looked up to see Stiles really had seen his dad instead of talking incoherently.  He cleared his throat and stepped back.  “Sir.”</p><p>John chuckled at the looks on both of their faces.  “Boys.”  He looked between the two who were looking at each other.  “Derek, could I get a moment with my son?”</p><p>“Oh god.  Of course.”  He grabbed his jacket, face flushed red.  “Absolutely sir.  I’m so sorry.”  He was out the door before John could say anything else. </p><p>John put his coffee down on the bedside table then leaned over to hug Stiles.  “It’s really good to see you awake son.”</p><p>Stiles’ voice felt scratchy as he said.  “Good to see you too Pop.  How long have I been out?”</p><p>“Three days.”  His dad said as he sat on the bed beside him.  “You gave us a good scare.  Erica did a great job keeping you stable until they could get you to a hospital.  They had to air flight you to Sioux Falls.  Everyone else is ok before you ask.  They’ve been debriefing at the local office.”  Stiles breathed a sigh of relief to hear his team was ok.  “Now, tell me about the young man in the hall.”</p><p>Stiles adjusted his position a little and winced in pain.  “What about him?  I was the head of his protective detail Pop.  I kept him safe and justice has been served.”</p><p>John sighed as he thought about the young man that had been by his son’s bed for the last 3 days.  He would only leave to take a shower and even then, he wouldn’t go far for that.  “Son, I think he thinks or maybe feels like there’s more to this.  Did uhh….did something happen between you two?”</p><p>“No Pop and it hurts my feelings a little that you’d even ask!”  Stiles said with a bit of anger and disbelief in his voice.  “I did not get involved with Derek.  We were in a firefight.  Emotions get crazy.  You know how that is.”</p><p>Little did both men know that Derek had been right outside the door, listening to everything.  He felt his stomach drop as he heard Stiles.  He knew that they barely knew each other but he thought he’d seen something in Stiles’ looks.  Now he knew he was wrong.  He’d given his statement already so there was no reason for him to stay around, so he didn’t.  As he walked out of the hospital, he booked a flight back home.  He needed to see his family and do some healing of his own.</p><p>John walked out into the hall to get Derek but found he wasn’t there.  “Hmm.  Maybe he went to the cafeteria.”  He went back and took the chair next to Stiles’ bed. </p><p>After a few hours it was apparent that Derek wasn’t coming back and Stiles knew it was for the best.  They would always have the 6 months in the secluded cabin then the firefight between them.  It was too fresh and wouldn’t make for a healthy relationship. Not to mention Stiles wasn’t ready for any kind of relationship.   Stiles stayed in the hospital for another week then was released to go home.  For him home was New York.  His dad tried to talk him into coming back to Beacon Hills for a bit but he thanked him and climbed in an SUV with his team to drive back to his own home.  He wouldn’t be released to active duty for another 3 months.  When he got back he finally finished unpacking the apartment he had moved into after he’d lost his family.  His life could move on now and he did his best to fully embrace it. </p><p>Derek spent a few months catching up with his family before he went back to New York.  He went back to work but felt like so many things were missing from his life.  All he could think about was Stiles, those soulful whiskey eyes.  Then he’d remember the words Stiles said at the hospital.  <em>Emotions run crazy.  We were in a fire fight.  </em>He felt stupid that he even let the idea of <em>them </em>briefly run through his mind.  </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
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    <em>A year and a half later</em>
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</p><p>Derek was climbing out of a cab when someone ran into him.  “Oh.  Crap.  Sorry.” The other man said before looking up.</p><p>Derek had grabbed him by the shoulders to keep him from falling over.  “No problem.”  Then the man raised his head and Derek gasped.  “Stiles?”</p><p>The young man’s eyes were wide as saucers as he saw the one person he never thought he’d see again.  “Derek?  Wow.  Hey!”  He couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face.  “It’s….it’s good to see you.  How are you?”</p><p>Derek was a little surprised at how happy Stiles was to see him.  “I’m good.  How are you?”</p><p>“I’m good.”  Stiles looked around for a second.   “Do you have some time?”  He pointed over his shoulder at the coffee shop a few doors down.  “Maybe grab a drink?”</p><p>“Umm.  I don’t know.”  He looked at his watch and he couldn’t help it when Stiles’ last words ran through his mind. </p><p>When Derek looked up Stiles had a hopeful look on his face.  “If you want, I’d really like to catch up.”</p><p>Derek would probably regret it but he needed to know what could happen.  “Ok.”</p><p>They walked side by side to the shop, ordered coffees and found a table in the back where it was a little more private.  Stiles surprised him again with a hug and he couldn’t stop himself from stiffening a little.  “Oh god.  I’m so sorry.”  Stiles said as he backed up with his hands up.  “I uhh…umm…”  He scratched the back of his neck as he sat down.  “I’m sorry.  I’m just really glad to see you.”</p><p>“Why?”  Derek asked as he sat down, no heat only confusion in the question.  “I mean, I was just a client or whatever to you.”</p><p>Stiles looked up with confusion written all over his face.  “That’s not true.”</p><p>Derek huffed and couldn’t hold back any longer, still not angry just confused.  “Stiles, I heard you talking to your dad at the hospital.”</p><p>“I thought you might have.  I’m sorry that I didn’t get a chance to explain.”  He took a sip of his coffee and settled more in his chair.  “I’ve been in a really bad place for a while Derek as you may know.”  Derek nodded because who wouldn’t be after losing their family to a psycho.  “And I can honestly say that I should’ve been taken out of the field.  I was for a few months, but it should’ve been longer and I never should have been put on your detail.  I don’t regret any of it because I would’ve gone rogue and hunted her down without help, probably died in the process.”  He spun his cup around as he thought about what he would say next.  “I had to go through therapy after losing Miguel and Lucy and then again after my assignment with you.  I barely showed up for it the first time but I knew I had to after getting her.  I miss them and I doubt I’ll ever stop.  I wasn’t ready but after I left the hospital, I made myself participate.  It was freeing honestly.  It also helps that we were finally able to catch Kate’s father too.  He was a mess after her death and made some serious mistakes that made it easy to find him.”</p><p>“That’s great.”  Derek knew how that felt.  “I did too.  Go to therapy that is, after I got back home and you’re right.  It is freeing.  I’m glad that it’s helped you and you have some closure now.”</p><p>“Thank you.”  He smiled sweetly, a little shyly even.  “Derek, I’m still a mess and probably will be for a while.  I’m not going to try to lie about that.”  Derek had never been in a serious relationship and had never lost anyone that he was close to, but he had an idea of how Stiles felt.  “But now that some time has passed, I would really like to get to know you.”</p><p>Derek said as he tilted his head, brows furrowed.  “But you already know me.”</p><p>Stiles shook his head at his protest.  “I knew you as someone I was tasked with to keep alive.  I want, I <em>need </em>to do this, if there can be a this, slowly.  For both of us so that neither of us get hurt.”</p><p>Derek thought about what Stiles was saying.  “So, you want to what, be friends?”</p><p>Stiles deflated a little, maybe it was a crazy idea.  “Yeah.  I’d like to start with that and if it could become more then….”  He shrugged nervously.</p><p>Derek felt a little excited and a little unsure.   He had to remember that they met because Derek was being chased by his psycho, murdering ex-girlfriend.  “Ok.  Friends.  I can do friends.”</p><p>Stiles’ blinding smile made Derek’s insides warm.  “Great.”  His phone beeped and he frowned when he looked at the screen.  “I uhh…. I’m really sorry but I have to go.  I have a meeting in 30 minutes.”</p><p>“No problem.”  He said, trying to assure Stiles that he understood.  He took out one of his business cards and slid it across the table.  “Whenever you’re ready.”</p><p>Stiles yanked it up quickly then dug one of his own out.  “It was really good to see you.”  He stood up and Derek followed.  They shook hands  and Stiles called over his shoulder as he left.  “I’ll call you later.”</p><p>Derek watched him leave, a little unsure of how he felt about seeing Stiles again after almost 2 years.  Derek was surprised when Stiles called him that night like he said he would.  It was just after 7:00 and they talked until after midnight.  Derek had never talked to anyone that long, not even if it was work related. </p><p>Stiles laid back on his sofa smiling like a fool as he talked to Derek.  He had no expectation going into the phone call so the fact that it turned out amazing was a plus.  They made a date to have coffee that weekend so that they wouldn’t have to worry about work interrupting. </p><p>They exchanged a few texts every day leading up to the weekend.  Then ended up changing a coffee date to a lunch date.  They met at a little diner that Stiles chose, Murray Hill Diner on Lexington Ave in midtown Manhattan. </p><p>Derek was more than a little surprised when they walked in.   “This looks like a place my great grand-parents would eat at.”</p><p>Stiles chuckled as he led him to an empty booth in the corner.   “That’s why I love it.  Hasn’t been ruined by the hipsters.”  He said as he pulled off the red and blue beanie with a fuzzy ball on it that he was wearing and adjusted the black rimmed glasses he didn’t need for reading.</p><p>Derek snorted as he sat down and said.  “I don’t know if you’ve noticed but Stiles, <em>you</em> are a hipster.”</p><p>He poked his lip out as he said.  “But I’m a cool hipster.”  He didn’t sound so sure until Derek laughed, and Stiles stuck his tongue out at him.  “Rude.”</p><p>Derek tried to cover up his laugh, but it was hard.  Stiles was kind of adorable when he pouted.  “I’m sorry.”  He chuckled and covered his mouth.  “Really Stiles.” </p><p>Stiles glared at him but it was hard to stay mad when you were forced to see such a beautiful smile AND bunny teeth.  He knew why he’d never noticed those before, they had been in a life and death situation with nothing to laugh or smile about.  It was a damn shame really because Derek’s smile was beautiful.</p><p>“Shut up.”  Stiles grumbled as he dramatically grabbed a menu and opened it up.</p><p>Derek picked up a menu too and tried to contain his smile, failing horribly.  “So how exactly did you find this place?”</p><p>Stiles smiled a little bit then.  “I was at John Jay before Quantico and….it was an accident really.  I was looking for a bookstore, the Strand.  It was the only place in this whole damn city that had a book I needed for a paper I was writing for a Human Rights class, it was on Stonewall.  It was a pretty awesome paper.”  He pointed his spoon at Derek.  “And I know what you’re going to ask.”  He waved the spoon around as he continued.  “How did I end up in the bureau?  Me getting into the FBI was never on my mind.  I was going to go back home and be a deputy until my dad retired then hopefully be the sheriff.  So anyway, I’m a nerd.  I majored in Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity which I had planned on using back home to bring Beacon Hills into the cyber era.  I kind of have a bad habit when it comes to research and one of my professors was an ex agent.  He sent a few of my papers to a friend at the bureau and they were scouting me in my Sophomore year.”  They had ordered their food while Stiles was talking and now it had arrived.  “I may have pulled double duty with taking classes at the bureau and JJ.  When I needed a break, to go where no one could find me, I’d come here.  That day I went looking for the book I stumbled in here because a hellacious rainstorm started, and I was severely unprepared.  I stayed here until it calmed down, found the bookstore then came back here.  It’s a great place for late night studying.” </p><p>Derek was impressed with his dedication.  “I can’t imagine carrying what sounds like a triple load.  You should be proud of your accomplishments.” </p><p>Stiles blushed and ducked his head.  “I am, I just….I don’t go flaunting it.”  He coughed a little and took a sip of his orange juice.  “What about you?  School and work and stuff?”</p><p>Derek could understand not liking to talk about accomplishments.  He blushed a little as he started his story.  “Well, I got my MBA at Berkley.  I guess I’m a nerd too.  I love numbers.  They make sense when people don’t, you know?  I love History too, I took a few Undergrad classes that I found interesting; Global History, The Middle East, Introduction to the History of Japan and The History and Practice of Human Rights.”</p><p>Stiles let out a low whistle and laughed.  “A little light reading huh?”</p><p>Derek blushed and shrugged.  “I could say the same to you.”  They smiled and ate a few more bites before either spoke again.  “So, what do you do for fun?”</p><p>Stiles smiled as he ate a bite of hash browns.  “As you can imagine people like to underestimate me.”  Derek certainly had when he first met him, and Stiles smirked.  “Before I grew a few inches my Freshman year of high school I got pushed around a lot.  There was this douche bag rich kid that thought he was better than everyone and I was his favorite target.  So, after my first broken arm because of him my dad, who was just a Deputy Sheriff, signed me up for martial arts.  I fell in love with it, so I again fell down a rabbit hole and now I’m a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, I box, and I am a brown belt in Krav Maga.”</p><p>“Jesus Stiles.  Over achiever much?”  Derek knew he was proficient in weapons too, had seen that in person.  “So, did you go in with some weapons training?”</p><p>“Yep.”  He replied before taking another sip of his orange juice.  “I didn’t exactly grow up in a crime riddled town but since my dad was a deputy then the Sheriff he championed gun safety.  He actually even talked the whole town into taking gun safety classes.”  He laughed and shook his head.  “That’s my Pop though.  Everyone loves him.”</p><p>Derek loved the look Stiles got talking about his father.  “I remember him telling a few stories while we were waiting for you to wake up.  He told me some of the things you and Scott got up to.”</p><p>Stiles’ jaw dropped and so did his fork.  “Shit.  I completely forgot that you guys met at the hospital.”  He covered his face and groaned.  “Please forget everything my dad told you.  Please.” </p><p>Derek laughed and shook his head.  “He was really nice to me.  He didn’t have to talk to me or hell, even let me stay.  I guess he had been debriefed and knew that you had been part of my detail.  He made sure I had food and got some sleep.”</p><p>Stiles loved the wistful look Derek was wearing.  “You got to go see your family for a while, right?”</p><p>Derek nodded excitedly and took out his phone.  “Here.”  He held out his phone with a picture of him with his family hiking.  He laughed at Stiles’ wide eyes.  “There’s a few of us.”  He pointed to each person.  “My parents; Talia and James, my siblings in order Kelly, Laura, I’m the middle child, then Cora, and our youngest siblings Matthew and Hope.”  Stiles let out a low whistle and Derek chuckled.  “Yeah.  It’s quite a pack.  Both of my parents come from big families and felt like carrying on the tradition.”</p><p>“I bet vacations are interesting.”  Stiles looked a little sad.  “It was just me and my dad after my mom passed.  I think they would’ve had more if she hadn’t gotten sick.”  He rubbed his temple as he told Derek about her.  “She had frontal temporal dementia.  She started getting sick when I was maybe 7 and by the time it was over, she didn’t know who anyone was.”</p><p>Derek reached over and took his hand.  “I’m so sorry Stiles.”  He couldn’t believe how much this man had lost in his life.  “You’re the strongest person I have ever met.”  Stiles shook his head and Derek squeezed his hand.  “You are.  You’ve been through so much and you are still here.”</p><p>Stiles turned his hand over and gripped Derek’s.  “I don’t know how else to be.  I feel like if I do anything but continue to live then I’m disrespecting their memories.”</p><p>Derek held his hand tightly.  “They are proud of you Stiles.  I know they are.”</p><p>He sat staring at Derek’s hand for a few moments, holding it tightly.  “Thank you.”  He squeezed his hand hard again and smiled.  “Now tell me about the best vacation you guys ever took.”</p><p>Derek smiled big as they continued to hold hands.  “That has to be the Galapagos Islands.”  He shifted around a little and started talking about the trip and even showed Stiles some of his favorite pictures he had on his phone.  “It was the best trip I’ve ever been on.  I’m going to go back one day.”</p><p>Stiles was smiling like an idiot as he listened.  “It sounds and looks beautiful.  I’ve never really traveled like that.  I know we took a few trips when I was a kid but nothing like that.”</p><p>Derek smiled brightly.  “You should do it.  Go there some time but not alone.  It’s only worth it if you share the experience with someone.”</p><p>They spent several hours at the diner talking about everything they didn’t talk about at the farmhouse.  They road the subway together and talked until Derek’s stop came.  Both lived in Queens, Derek in Astoria and Stiles in Sunnyside.  Derek took a chance and kissed Stiles’ cheek before he jumped off the train.</p><p>Stiles stood with his jaw dropped as Derek waved from the platform.  “Son of a bitch.”  Stiles said as he chuckled.  </p><p>There was an older lady Stiles had seen on the subway a few times sitting close by.  She smiled and wagged a finger at him.  “That young man is smitten.  Best not let him get away.”</p><p>Stiles fell into the seat beside her.  “I let him get away once, it just wasn’t the right time.”  He thought for moment before he looked at her.  “You think it’s going to work this time?”</p><p>She patted his cheek gently.  “You must not live in the past young man.  You can have more than one great love.”</p><p>Stiles kept those words swirling around in his head until he talked to Derek again.  Which was later that night.  He was watching a Mets game and working on some files when his phone beeped.  It was a text from Derek and he couldn’t help the smile.</p><p> </p><p>
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    <em>Derek H:   You busy?</em>
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    <em>Stiles:  Just watching my beloved Mets.  Please do NOT say anything disparaging about them.</em>
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</p><p>Derek smirked as he responded.  The Mets were an ok team even though they hadn’t won any significant titles in a really long time.</p><p>
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    <em>  Uhh.  I can’t promise that it’ll never happen, but I won’t say anything tonight.</em>
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</p><p>Stiles glared playfully at his phone even if Derek couldn’t see him.</p><p> </p><p>
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</p><p>Derek let out a long sigh as he looked at the spreadsheets that covered his coffee table.</p><p> </p><p>
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    <em>Just very boring work stuff.  I was thinking about an outing this weekend.  Would you be interested in joining me?</em>
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</p><p>Stiles practically fell off his sofa as he fist pumped.  What Derek didn’t know wouldn’t embarrass him later.</p><p> </p><p>
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</p><p>Derek held his breath as he typed out his message and waited for a response.</p><p> </p><p>
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    <em>I was thinking about this place near Lake Placid, Mt Marcy.  Google it and let me know what you think.  It could be a weekend trip?  </em>
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</p><p>Stiles stopped breathing for a second as he read the text.  Derek wanted to take a weekend trip with him?  Was it too soon?  Was he being ridiculous?  He took a deep breath and typed in the name of the trail that Derek had sent him.  There was a whine from beside him and he scratched behind the ears of his 1-year old chocolate Lab, Lila.  What if Derek doesn’t like dogs?  Or has allergies?  Lila was too young to leave alone for a weekend.</p><p> </p><p>
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    <em>What are your feelings on dogs?</em>
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</p><p>Derek replied quickly.</p><p> </p><p><strong><em>I think they’re awesome.  Why?   </em></strong>Stiles took a picture of Lila and sent it to Derek.  Derek opened the picture message and may have squealed a little but only his apartment heard.   <strong><em>Adorable!  What’s her/his name?</em></strong></p><p>
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</p><p>Stiles breathed out a sigh of relief.</p><p> </p><p>
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    <em>Lila, she’s a year old, full blooded chocolate Lab.  I can’t leave her at home, and I don’t have anyone to watch her on short notice.</em>
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    <em>I still want you to look at the place and let me know what you think.  Lila is more than welcome.</em>
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</p><p>And that was how Stiles found himself on a camping trip with Derek and Lila.  Stiles wasn’t going to pass up a weekend like that.  He had to make an emergency trip to REI to get a backpack for the trip.  He found a cool pack for Lila and couldn’t resist buying it too. </p><p>The weekend came and Stiles was standing out in the parking lot with Lila when Derek pulled up in his bright blue FJ Cruiser.  When Derek stepped out of his SUV Stiles gasped.  Derek was already incredibly, and unfairly gorgeous.  Today he was wearing very worn, tight fitting faded blue jeans, a dark red Henley with actual thumbholes and tan hiking boots.  After inwardly drooling over how Derek looked, he noticed what he was driving.   He covered his mouth as he tried not to laugh.  Derek caught him though and glared as he walked over to him. </p><p>“Why are you laughing at my car?”  He glared playfully as he opened a back door for Lila and then the trunk for Stiles’ backpack.</p><p>Stiles snapped his fingers and Lila jumped in the back.  “Good girl.”  He scratched behind her ears before walking to the back of the cruiser.  “Sorry.  I just wasn’t expecting this.”</p><p>Derek took his pack and settled it in the back.  “What exactly were you expecting?”  He said with an eyebrow raised. </p><p>Stiles scuffed a foot and scratched the back of his neck.  “Maybe a sports car?”</p><p>Derek laughed full bellied.  “I have one of those too.  A black 2018 Camaro.  It’s just not exactly the kind of car you take up to Lake Placid though.”</p><p>“True.”  Stiles couldn’t argue with that.  “I look forward to seeing that one.  And by the way, the lumberjack look works really well for you.”</p><p>Derek blushed horribly, started up the Cruiser and pulled out of the parking lot.  “Thanks, and don’t worry.  I have plans to take you out in the Camaro.”  They’d been on the road for about 20 minutes when Derek said.  “You want to be the DJ?”</p><p>Stiles jumped a little but smiled.  “I have ADHD.  I’m not sure you want to do that to yourself.”</p><p>Derek chuckled and nodded to the radio.  “I like everything.  I’m sure it’ll be fine.”</p><p>Once they were close, maybe 30 minutes, to their destination they stopped for supplies.  Derek was excited when he saw the little butcher shop in the country store they stopped at.  He picked out three nice steaks, a couple of potatoes to bake, and some corn to grill also getting breakfast food.  He loved a campfire cooked breakfast more than he could explain and couldn’t wait to share it with Stiles.  Stiles went straight to the dessert which surprised Derek because the whole time they were in that cabin Stiles never had anything remotely dessert like. </p><p>“Derek, you can’t go camping without having smores!”  He exclaimed when Derek made fun of him.  He looked at Derek’s basket.  “Why do you have 3 steaks?”</p><p>Derek blushed a little and mumbled.  “One’s for Lila.”</p><p>Stiles thought it was the cutest thing that Derek would blush about getting caught getting a steak for his dog.  “She’s going to leave me for you after this weekend.”</p><p>Derek laughed and hip bumped him.  “Come on.  We need to get moving.”</p><p>They packed the food in the Stay Cool bag that Derek had brought and continued their trip.  An hour later they were at the check in for the park.  They paid, strapped on their packs then headed out on the trail with Lila leading the way. </p><p>Stiles had never seen Lila so excited about being outside.  She sniffed every inch of ground they covered.  It was some of the most beautiful land Stiles had ever seen.  He felt like a nerd for taking as many pictures as he did.   Derek stole his phone at one point and took a few pictures of him with Lila.  They even got a few of the three of them together.</p><p>Derek had a specific spot in mind for them to camp at and when they reached it Stiles could barely breathe at the beauty of the place.  They set up the tent, got a small fire started and locked their food in the bear resistant canisters.  Lila plopped down near the fire and fell asleep quickly.  Derek pulled out a small battery-operated radio and managed to find a station that wasn’t too staticky. </p><p>“Thank you for inviting me up here.”  Stiles said as they worked together to finish setting up their site.  “It’s really beautiful.”</p><p>Derek had never brought anyone with him but wanted to share this with Stiles.  “I’m really glad you could come.  This is my favorite getaway when work gets stressful.”</p><p>Stiles had known Derek worked in the corporate world of numbers because he’d read his file.  He didn’t know exactly what Derek did though.  “Tell me about what you do.”</p><p>Derek looked surprised for a moment.  “Wasn’t that in my file?”  He asked, a bit confused.</p><p>Stiles had to admit that it probably was somewhere, but he hadn’t been in the best headspace.  “Probably.”  Derek could see the look of guilt and didn’t like it.</p><p>“You had a lot going on.  No worries.”  He smiled, hoping to ease the tension.  “I work for Miller and Company.  It’s one of the largest accountant firms in the city.  As you’ve probably noticed I’m not great with people and talking.”  He chuckled at Stiles’ fake surprised look.  “I’ve always loved numbers so becoming a CPA felt like a no brainer.”</p><p>Stiles could see that Derek truly loved what he did.  “I know what you mean.  I’ve always wanted to be a cop.  Watching my dad work when I was growing up, helping people and making our town safe?  There was no question.  The FBI wasn’t in my original plan though, but I’ve told you that story.”</p><p>Derek nodded because Stiles had told him about it that day in the diner.  “Do you regret it?  Not going back home to fulfill your original plan?”</p><p>Stiles didn’t hesitate to shake his head.  “No.  I feel like this is what I was meant to do.  And I have the best team.”</p><p>“So you guys always work together?”  Stiles nodded at Derek’s question.  “What are they doing right now?”</p><p>Lila had moved over to lay between Stiles and Derek to get attention.  Stiles reached down immediately and scratched behind her ears.  “We typically handle high value targets.   We haven’t been needed recently so…”  He shrugged and said.  “And honestly I’m ok with that.  Danny, Lydia, and I have been working on a few new security protocols.  It’s not classified but it’s super boring, so I’ll spare you the details.”</p><p>Derek laughed a little.  He could tell Stiles wanted to talk about his work but thought Derek wouldn’t be interested.  “I’d like to hear about it if you want to tell me.  We could make lunch while you’re doing it.”</p><p>That thought appeased Stiles and the mention of food made Lila whine.  Stiles scratched behind her ears.  “Don’t worry girl, we’ve got food for you too.  What did you have in mind for lunch?”</p><p>Derek nodded towards the bear canisters.  “Let’s see what we’ve got.”</p><p>Stiles told Derek everything he could about the programs they were working on and Derek seemed truly awed by it.  They made sandwiches and tossed Lila a few pieces of the roast beef they had.  After they ate they went on a little hike around their area.  They even found a stream, so Derek filled up one of the camelbak water backpacks that they’d carried in.  When they got back to their campsite, they started dinner.  Lila was very interested in what was cooking and they had to shoo her away from the fire a few times.</p><p>Derek had always loved animals, dogs in particular and after spending barely a day with Lila he thought maybe it was time to get one of his own.  “Where did you find Lila?”</p><p>Stiles turned from watching the fire to find Derek’s face buried in Lila’s neck.  He smiled softly as he moved over to sit by them.  “There was this family in New Mexico that was having a little trouble with the cartel.  While we were with them Lila’s mom gave birth.  She followed me <em>everywhere </em>for the three months we were there.  Mateo said she imprinted on me and wouldn’t let me leave without her.  And I’m glad I listened.  She’s been very therapeutic.” </p><p>Derek nodded his agreement as he cuddled more into Lila.  “I think I might have to get one.”</p><p>Stiles perked up excitedly.  “Derek!  Yes.  You definitely should.  I could call Mateo if you want one like Lila.”</p><p>“That would be great.  Thank you.”  He smiled brightly.  “She’s beautiful and it would be awesome to have one of her siblings.”  He thought for moment.  “A boy though.”</p><p>“Boys are good too.  I could call Mateo when we get back and see what he has, if you want me too.”  Lila yipped at Stiles’ offer like she completely understood.</p><p>Derek chuckled and accepted.  After dinner they took another small hike before it got too dark to find their way back.  The temperature had dropped, and Stiles couldn’t be more thankful for investing in a down filled sleeping bag.  He was however, a little embarrassed when he woke up curled up to Derek.  Derek woke up seconds after him and smiled when he saw Stiles’ worried eyes looking at him.</p><p>Not much was said as they got up and got ready for the day until they started breakfast.  “I have never had campfire scrambled eggs Derek.  I have to say that they’re pretty damn good.”</p><p>Derek ducked his head as he blushed.  “I’m glad you like them.  Give me a real stove and I can impress you with my omelet skills.  And maybe even French Toast.”</p><p>Stiles groaned indecently.  “You’re killing me Hale.”</p><p>Derek smirked at the thought of possibly one day making Stiles groan like that for a totally different reason.  “Got it.  Home cooked meals are your kryptonite.”</p><p>Stiles stuck his tongue out at Derek.  “Rude.”</p><p>Derek laughed heartily as they finished their breakfast.  Afterwards they took the longest hike since they’d been there.  Lila was in her element and having a blast.  Stiles still couldn’t get over the scenery. </p><p>He leaned into Derek and said.  “Thank you for sharing this with me.  It’s absolutely beautiful up here.”</p><p>Derek reached out without looking and twined his fingers with Stiles’.  “The city gets so hectic and…. I miss California.  My family used to rotate our vacations between the beaches and the mountains.  This is my favorite though.”</p><p>Stiles squeezed his hand, thankful that Derek shared this experience with him.  Stiles cooked their dinner that night, using up all the food they had left.  After dinner they made smores and packed up what they could by fire light. </p><p>They started early the next morning because the trek out was longer than in.  They walked side by side and held hands as much as the landscape allowed them.   Once they made it to the bottom, they packed up the car and headed back home.</p><p>Stiles chuckled and looked over to see Derek with a raised eyebrow.  “I was just thinking about how I had a great time, but a hot shower was going to be <em>so </em>good.”</p><p>Derek laughed because he couldn’t argue with that.  “Yeah.”  He nodded as he thought about his own shower waiting for him.  “It’s going to be nice.”</p><p>“You could take one at my house, so you don’t have to wait.”  Stiles said without hesitating.  When Derek coughed, he played back what he said.  “I mean…not with me.  I mean…”  He sputtered for a few seconds.  “Please put me out of my misery!”</p><p>Derek laughed so hard he snorted which made both of them break out in laughter.  “It’s ok Stiles.  I know what you mean and thank you.  I think I’ll take you up on that.”</p><p>“Great!  Lila and I can make you dinner.  If you want to stay.”  Stiles didn’t want the weekend to end and he was hoping Derek didn’t either.  He got what he wished for when Derek accepted his invitation.  After hot showers and a hot meal, they fell asleep on Stiles’ sofa with Lila in between them.</p>
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